Internet access is becoming ubiquitous and the means by which the access is obtained varies widely. For example, the internet access may be through a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), a cable modem, a fiber optic network, a wireless communication network, etc. When the internet service provides high data rates it is often referred to as broadband internet service. Broadband internet service is generally understood to be a service that is always on and offers data rates in the order of mega-bits per second for both download and upload.
A client device as defined in the present disclosure is a device that may access the internet from one or more of the sources from which the internet service may be available. Such client devices may include conventional devices such as a smartphone, a tablet, a feature-phone, a laptop or a desktop personal computer, etc. Other client devices may include devices that are embedded within devices that perform other functions such as an entertainment system in a home or in an automobile, a home appliance such as a refrigerator or washer/dryer, a wristwatch with a heart rate monitor, a medical device such as a blood pressure meter or insulin sensor, a utility meter, a gaming console, a camera, a navigation device, industrial equipment, etc. These types of devices are collectively referred to herein as machine type client devices.
These diverse types of client devices may access the internet service directly through one of the sources of primary internet access mentioned earlier. Alternatively, the client devices may access the internet through a local network that performs distribution of the primary internet access to the users localized in a given area. Examples of such local networks include Local Area Network (LAN) using Ethernet, Wireless LAN (WLAN) commonly known as Wi-Fi, or some other local area networking schemes. When a client device is in the proximity of a location where such a LAN or WLAN access is available, it may access the internet using the LAN or WLAN. FIG. 1 illustrates an example scenario of client devices accessing internet over a WLAN network, which is connected to a traditional wire-line internet service such as DSL or cable modem. The local area where WLAN service is available is often referred to as Hotspot. The device that offers the WLAN service in a given local area is referred to as an Access Point (AP). In the present disclosure, the terms Hotspot AP or Hotspot are used interchangeably to refer the device that offers the WLAN service in a given local area.
A Hotspot AP may be connected to DSL or cable modem through any of the standardized interfaces such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet, or proprietary interfaces. In some cases, the DSL or cable modem and the Hotspot AP may be part of a single physical device. In such cases the interface between the DSL or cable modem and AP may use Secure Digital Input Output (SDIO) or other suitable interface.
Client devices may also obtain internet access over mobile wireless networks. These mobile wireless networks are often referred to as Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN). The internet service offered by such networks is often referred to as mobile broadband internet or Mobile Broadband (MB) and the mobile wireless networks are often referred to as mobile broadband networks. The terms WWAN and MB are used interchangeably herein.
A number of service attributes characterize an internet service. Some of these attributes include the data transfer rate, the latency, cost, power consumption, reliability, security, etc. The internet usage model may vary depending on the environment. A user may access internet for work related activities or for entertainment. The performance requirements, the form factor of the client device, the cost, etc. may also vary for different use cases. Since the wireless communication between the client device and the mobile broadband networks is done over relatively longer distances, in the order of several hundred meters to few kilometers, a client device in a WWAN may need to transmit in the uplink direction at a higher power compared to that of a client device communicating with the WLAN which operates in a smaller local area. For battery operated handheld client devices the power consumption may be an important consideration. Considering all the variations in the characteristics of internet service and usage scenarios, it may be desirable for a client device to get the internet access according to the selection criteria specified by the user for each of the attributes.
Often a user may have multiple client devices with different internet access capabilities. For example, a user may have a smartphone with mobile broadband and WLAN connectivity, and a machine type client device with WLAN connectivity but no mobile broadband connectivity. The machine type client device may get internet access when it is in the vicinity of areas where WLAN access is available. For example, when the user is at home, office or in public places such as a library or a café, the WLAN available in those locations may be used. However, when the user is not in vicinity of locations with WLAN, the machine type client device may not get internet access. If the machine type client device includes mobile broadband access connectivity then it may use the mobile broadband network for internet access.
As the variety of client devices has increased and the demand for MB access has increased, a device known as a mobile Hotspot is commonly used. A mobile Hotspot device includes both a modem for MB access and a WLAN AP (Hotspot AP) to distribute the internet to local client devices. FIG. 2 illustrates the block diagram of an example mobile Hotspot device. As shown in FIG. 2, for the chosen example, the MB modem and the Hotspot AP may be connected to each other via one of the standard interfaces used in the industry such as USB, SDIO, or proprietary interfaces. In another mobile Hotspot example, the MB modem and the WLAN AP may be a single Integrated Circuit (IC) as shown in FIG. 3.
Some mobile Hotspot devices may serve as a single function device, i.e., they only perform the mobile Hotspot function. Such mobile Hotspots may take many different form factors such as a mobile Hotspot integrated into an automobile, a standalone device that can be carried around with or without a battery, integrated into an accessory device for a tablet, a standalone device that can be powered by a wall outlet, etc.
Some client devices have multiple capabilities and being a Hotspot is one of the capabilities. For example, a smartphone may have a mobile broadband modem that may be used to get mobile internet service directly from the mobile broadband network as illustrated in FIG. 4. The flow of data is as shown in FIG. 4 from the mobile broadband modem to the application processor that processes the download and upload data and interacts with the user via the display and other elements of the user interface such as audio, vibration, etc. The smartphone may also have a WLAN modem to access internet service over a Hotspot AP. When it is in the vicinity of a Hotspot AP, it may use internet service from the Hotspot as illustrated in FIG. 1. In another smartphone example, the mobile broadband modem, the WLAN AP and the Application Processor may be integrated into a single Integrated Circuit (IC) as shown in FIG. 5.
A smartphone may also serve as a mobile Hotspot to provide internet service over WLAN to other client devices in its vicinity. FIG. 6 illustrates an example scenario where the smartphone serves as a mobile Hotspot and provides internet service to a machine type client device which may have only a WLAN access. In another smartphone mobile Hotspot example, the mobile broadband modem, the WLAN AP and the Application Processor may be integrated into a single IC as shown in FIG. 7.
A mobile Hotspot may be a part of an accessory or peripheral device for a client device such as a tablet. Other examples of such accessory or peripheral device may include a standalone mouse, a battery pack, a cover, a stand or any machine type client device. FIG. 8 illustrates an example scenario where a cover or a stand for a tablet includes mobile Hotspot connectivity. The mobile Hotspot may be connected with the tablet client device using a physical connection such as General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) lines, Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus, Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART), USB, SDIO or any other standardized or proprietary interfaces. While the actual data transfer between a client device and the mobile Hotspot may occur over the WLAN connection, some of the control, such as power on and off, and configuration may be carried out over the physical connection. In another example scenario the actual data transfer between the client device and the mobile Hotspot may occur over the physical connection or over the combination of both physical connection and the WLAN connection.
A client device may use a mobile Hotspot, a Hotspot, or a mobile broadband network when internet access is required. An example of a mobile broadband network is the Long Term Evolution (LTE) from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The LTE technology and its evolution are often referred to as fourth generation (4G) technologies. A client device may also use any of the previous generation technologies such as “2G”, “3G” from 3GPP and other standardization bodies. A client device may also use future generation technologies for Hotspot, mobile Hotspot, and mobile networks. Different sources of internet are generically referred to as networks herein. A mobile broadband network may comprise a number of cells that collectively offer internet service over a wide area. For the purpose of the present disclosure, each cell of a mobile broadband network is treated as a separate network whose internet service may be compared against that of other cells of the same mobile broadband network, Hotspots, and mobile Hotspots. When a distinction is required, more specific terms are used. A network that is detected by a client device and is able to provide internet service is referred to herein as available network. If a client device has obtained internet service from a network in the past, then it is referred to herein as previously visited network. A client device may continually search and select the best available network for a given use case considering the performance, latency, power consumption, cost, security and other factors. Conventional methods for the selection of the best available network may not differentiate between the Hotspots, mobile Hotspots, and mobile broadband networks which may lead to selection of a network that may not be optimum according to the various selection criteria.